Night Vision Vectronix Terrapin LRF clipon?

[diverdon]

I do not see a forum for stupid NV questions, so I will post this one here.

If you have a Vectronix Terrapin (assuming you have some contraption to keep them in alignment) could you use it with a clip-on at night?

 

[Delta4-3]

It may depend more on the particular clip-on in question.

 

[CoryT]

I don't see any way to make that work. You can't place the NVD in front, no way for the beam to be read through the tube, and it has no low setting to use the NVD behind. If you need to have night capability, you need the PLRF.

 

[Delta4-3]

With a small clip-on like the CO-Mini or KAC, where the prism isn't visible on 1x, It should work.
What I do is just wear my nods, hold the laser of the LRF on my target, then look at the display. Or with a 14, look through the 14 with your non dominant eye, and the LRF with the other.

 

[IR-V]

I do not see a forum for stupid NV questions, so I will post this one here.

If you have a Vectronix Terrapin (assuming you have some contraption to keep them in alignment) could you use it with a clip-on at night?

On the Vectronix Terrapin (PLRF-05) and the Vectronix PLRF-10/15/25 series, the objective lens that the user views through is the same lens from which the laser pulse is emitted. Anything placed in front of that lens will block the emission of the laser pulse. Thus, you cannot use a clip-on night vision or thermal imaging scope in front of that lens. The second lens to the side is for receiving or sensing the return on the laser pulse that reflects from the target; if the primary lens from which the laser pulse is emitted is blocked, the secondary lens with the laser sensor behind it will have nothing to function with.

However, you can use a night vision monocular, such as a PVS-14, with the Vectronix laser range finder scopes, by placing its objective lens BEHIND the ocular lens of the Terrapin or PLRF-10/15/25. Ashbury Precision sells a mount for affixing a PVS-14 monocular behind the PLRF-10/15. For a motivated individual, it would not be difficult to fabricate something similar for the Terrapin, using the threaded tripod mounting hole as part of the mount.

You do need to know, however, that unlike the PLRF-10/15/25, the Terrapin does not shield the ocular from the IR laser pulse, and a large amount of the IR laser pulse is emitted through the ocular lens. When viewed with a night vision scope attached to the Terrapin's ocular, a bright flash will bloom out the night vision scope's entire field of view. In my opinion, this is not good practice for a NV intensifier to be repeatedly exposed to these intense inputs of IR radiation; and even though the IR laser emission is Class 1, I consider repeated exposure of the user's eye (in daylight use,for example) to such close proximity to and full intensity of the IR laser source to be a long-term, eye-safety hazard. The PLRF-10/15/25 does not have these problems.

IR-V

 

[RTH1800]

IR,
So are you saying the Terrapin is unsafe in normal daylight usage?

 

[IR-V]

IR,
So are you saying the Terrapin is unsafe in normal daylight usage?

In this case, unsafe is variable to the periodicity and cumulative duration of the exposures and how each observer's eye tissues respond. The IR emission that comes out of the ocular lens of the Terrapin is equal to flashing a Class 1 laser directly into your eye from a couple inches away. The characterization I would offer is: may pose higher risk for cumulative, exposure damage to the tissues of the eye.

Again, the PLRF-10/15/25 do not have this characteristic of the IR laser emission reflecting out of the ocular lens. It is only the now discontinued PLRF-05 (aka Terrapin) that has this performance attribute.

IR-V